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I have 2 questions about Amano Shrimps.

Do Amano Shrimp eat their shell when they shed it?.

How ofter do they shed?.

Thanks alot.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

1) No not usually.
2) Depends on the age and stage of growth, an adult may only do it 2-3 times a year, but a juvenile may do it every few weeks to months depending on the growth rate. Damage to a limb etc may stimulate a skin shedding, and the ability to shed a skin also depends on available nutrients etc.

I was thinking that they might eat the shell, as i don't see it after a day. So i taught that they or the fish might have ate it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

If my tanks are anything to go by, most of the shed skins get ripped up and destroyed by the fish, and the pieces end up in the filter. Keratinous armour is hard to derive nutrient from, most amanos arent equipped to take apart their own armour, and recycling of the remaining nutrients in the shell is left to other organisms. Its easier for them to fortify themselves with nutrients from scavenging fish food.

If your worried about the shrimps nutritional balance get some specific shrimp or crab food, hikari does them so they will be commonly available. My cameroon armoured shrimp often didnt slough often enough until I got the shrimp food. They will often take a little and its balanced with higher levels of calcium etc to ensure they have enough nutrients to build adequate armour, but TBH a small piece of weighted cuttlebone usually does the trick .

My shrimps eat plant matter & Tropical Fish Food, that i feed normally.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com